What Is an Apology?

14 Pages·2017·3.71 MB·English

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What Is an Apology?
An apology, roughly speaking, is a
verbal exchange in which someone
who is perceived as having caused
harm or offense to a second party
speaks and behaves in a way that
allows for a future reconciliation
between the offender and those he
or she has harmed.
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What Is a CEO Apology?
Two kinds:
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• An apology by a CEO for an offense personally
committed while in role of CEO of a firm
(usually publicly traded)--e.g., Martha Stewart’s
apology after being convicted for obstruction of
justice
• An apology by a CEO (as representative of a
firm) for an injury or harm the public attributes
to the CEO’s firm--e.g., Tony Hayward’s
apology after the British Petroleum Deep
Horizon disaster.
Ethically Good Apology
• A CEO/corporate apology is ethically good if it is structured so as
to restore trust between the CEO apologizer/CEO’s firm and the
parties injured by the apologizer/firm.
• An apology need not actually restore trust to be ethically good.
An ethically good apology is one that is, in principle, trustworthy.
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Three Caveats
• An ethically good apology has a chance of
restoring trust because it is structured well,
but it may not achieve this goal.
• For a speech act to qualify as an apology
(good or bad), it is not necessary that
speakers intend that their speech be an
apology. What matters is that the audience
hears the speech as a good or bad apology.
• I only consider cases in which an apology is
plausibly called for.
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Elements of an Ethically Good Apology
1. Logos/logical or content requirements
2. Ethos/character conveyed through the CEO
role, through what is said, and through the
manner in which the comments are given
3. Pathos/emotional connection the speaker
forges with the audience
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Two CEO Apologies:
Which Is Better in Your Opinion?
“I mistakenly conveyed the status of the Phoenix
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investment in Trenton, Michigan. The facts I described
were accurate for Trenton and not Kenosha, Wisconsin. I
recognize this has added further confusion to an already
difficult situation.”
Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli after he mistakenly said that
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Chrysler was NOT closing the Kenosha plant.
Kenosha was, in fact, being closed, while Trenton was
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remaining open.
Two CEO Apologies
“They were doing things that required much
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closer scrutiny…I am sorry for that”
SAP CEO Bill McDermott’s apology to Oracle
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after SAP was successfully sued for infringing
an Oracle copyright
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Logos/Content #1
Naming the wrongdoing for which the apologizing
CEO and firm accept responsibility to minimize
any harm victims impute to the firm.
Victims want to know that the firm/CEO and they
agree on what the problem is.
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No Naming of Any Wrongdoing;
Vague Talk about Suffering
“Let me start by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry the
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financial crisis has had such a devastating impact for
our country. I’m sorry about the millions of people,
average Americans, who lost their homes. And I’m
sorry that our management team, starting with me, like
so many others could not see the unprecedented
market collapse that lay before us.” Citibank CEO
Chuck Prince before Congress
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A Better Apology
Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca’s apology
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for Chrysler dealers’ practice of
disconnecting odometers, driving the
cars, reconnecting the odometers,
and then selling as new cars:
"Disconnecting odometers is a lousy
idea. That’s a mistake we won’t make
again at Chrysler. Period.”
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Logos/Content #2
Taking responsibility for addressing the
causes and effects of the perceived
wrongdoing
The audience needs someone with whom
to build the bridge of trust.
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Chrysler CEO Nardelli
I
mistakenly conveyed the status of
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the Phoenix investment in Trenton,
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Michigan. The facts described were
accurate for Trenton and not
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Kenosha, Wisconsin. recognize
this has added further confusion to an
already difficult situation (quoted in
Romell et al, 2009, 1) (emphasis
added).
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Ethos/Conveyed Character
#1. Apologizing as promptly as
possible
#2. Conveying a just and settled
character
#3. Creating or choosing a supportive,
consistent context for what is being
said
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Pathos/Emotional Connection
between Speaker & Audience
#1. Delivering the apology in person
#2. Exhibiting empathy
#3. Following through on an apology
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CEO Tony Hayward
Hayward interview
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What’s Wrong with This CEO
Apology?
Dreamhost Josh Jones’ statement expressing
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his regret for the firm’s over-billing of many
customers.
Dreamhost CEO's Apology
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